It’s no secret that Star Wars, as currently constructed, desperately needs a massive facelift. Recent TV offerings such as The Book of Boba Fett, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and The Mandalorian Season 3 were disappointments. At the same time, news of a Rey Skywalker-themed Episode X has been met with mixed reactions by fans.
On the other hand, Ahsoka breathed new life into the Star Wars universe, while Andor showcased its thrilling potential in capable hands. Each show had its own unique direction and demonstrated promise, but neither was a home run.
As such, here are five Star Wars movies that we’d love to see made in the future.
Knights of the Old Republic
Firstly, I think it’s time to put the Skywalker saga to rest—I’m about as sick of the Skywalkers as I am of Tatooine! The Disney trilogy struggled to build a compelling narrative around Han, Luke, and Leia and failed to create memorable characters for future installments to lean on. Additional chapters centered around another Skywalker would only shrink this ginormous galaxy further.
My advice? Start fresh. Go way back in time and give us a story that details the rise and fall of the Sith thousands of years before the events of Episode 1. You don’t have to follow the plots/characters of the popular video games, but it wouldn’t hurt to indulge fans with a few shoutouts. Craft an all-new trilogy that charts its own course, builds its own legacy, and distances itself from George Lucas’ original franchise. Call it a clean break and move the hell on.
Darth Vader
Of course, it’s unlikely Disney will willingly move away from its bread and butter, i.e., the original Star Wars trilogy. Despite the studio’s attempts to diminish the legacy of Han, Luke, and Leia, the three core characters remain iconic staples in pop culture. I’d be down to see a series that chronicles their adventures immediately after Return of the Jedi—perhaps one that ignores Episodes 7-9 and goes in a completely different direction.
More than that, I’d love to see more Darth Vader. The big bad remains curiously underutilized. Maybe that’s for the best, but I would happily tune in to watch an adaptation of, say, Vader Down, or a series that follows him as he hunts and kills the remaining Jedi throughout the galaxy. Obviously, this project only works if placed in the right hands, but it would certainly pique my interest.
Rian Johnson’s Trilogy or Something Like It
Okay, okay, hear me out. I’ve come to regard The Last Jedi as a colossal disappointment — a complete 180 from my initial view of the film when it was first released — but I still consider Rian Johnson a capable filmmaker. In fact, I think he had the right idea when he set out to write a stand-alone trilogy, separate from the main narrative. That’s what Star Wars needs — fresh ideas rather than a slavish devotion to all that came before.
Now, maybe Johnson isn’t the right person to helm said trilogy — for the record, Taika Waititi isn’t either — but with a vast galaxy bursting at the seams with characters and stories, why not start an all-new adventure? The Mandalorian proved audiences are willing to follow original characters, and while I don’t think we need any more TV shows — Star Wars belongs on the big screen — I think there are more than enough characters to build an all-new trilogy around.
Intriguing One-Offs
If crafting a new trilogy is too daunting for the powers that be, focus on a series of standalone films. Get on the phone and call every director, from Christopher Nolan to Chad Stahelski, and listen to their pitches. Forget world-building; forget setting up sequels; just find and produce interesting stories set in the Star Wars universe. Hell, you could mix in the likes of Ahsoka, Han, Luke, Leia, Vader, etc. should the story require them, or you could follow original characters on their own isolated adventures. Maybe they stick, in which case you craft more stories around them … or maybe they’re destined for a one-and-done, much like the characters in Rogue One.
